The BEST Homemade Mac and Cheese of your LIFE. Outrageously cheesy, ultra creamy, and topped with a crunchy Panko-Parmesan topping, this mac and cheese recipe is most definitely a keeper. I used three different cheese and a homemade cheese sauce to take this macaroni and cheese recipe over the top. Love cheesy recipes? Make sure to try this Lazy Day Lasagna and Cheesy Kielbasa Rice and Broccoli Skillet next week for dinner!Â
This post is sponsored by Walmart and SheKnows Media.
Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese
There is absolutely nothing I love more than cheese. And when you add pasta to it? Fuggetaboutit.
Mac and cheese is one of those recipes that can take on so many different forms. I love it anyway I can get it but baked mac and cheese is my very favorite and I’ll tell you why… The topping. I use breadcrumbs for my topping occasionally, but, a Panko topped mac and cheese is just that much better.
I mix in Parmesan, butter, and paprika with the Panko so it crisps up beautifully and gets a nice golden brown color when this amazing homemade mac and cheese is baked.
I’m going to be honest here. When I make mac and cheese, it’s the mac to cheese ratio that I am most concerned about. I love it when the mac and cheese is oeey gooey and the cheese sauce is just so creamy. GIMME.
With all this cheese going on in this macaroni and cheese recipe, I need a little help from my KitchenAid Deluxe Stand Mixer and it’s handy dandy Fresh Prep Slice/Shredder attachment. I picked up this beauty at Walmart this past week and I am in LOOOOOVE. I was torn between the options: SILVER | COBALT | PISTACHIO. But, when I pictured them in my kitchen, I knew I had to go with the cobalt – it’s just stunning!
My sister had bought me the pasta maker attachment years ago and it’s used A LOT so I was excited to pick up the shredder attachment on this last trip to Walmart because, I mean, come on. You guys know that I’m all about the cheese. But it’s not just for shredding cheese you guys! We’ve already used it to make the hash brown crust on this quiche too. What a time saver!
I use my stand mixer about 954 times each week. Being a food blogger and mom means I’m in my kitchen a lot baking up goodies and whipping up amazing dinners like this homemade baked mac and cheese. I am always, always looking for help in the kitchen and the Kitchen Aid Deluxe Stand Mixer is the answer.
You’re going to find all the features you know and love including a tilt-head design to easily add ingredients, 10 speeds to thoroughly mix, whip, and knead ingredients, and it comes with the coated flat beater, coated dough hook, and the wire whip.
There are 10 hub powered attachments including a spiralizer, food grinder and citrus juicer. SO much fun to be had you guys!
Tips for the Best Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese
- Use block cheese and shred, do not buy the pre-shredded cheese. The pre-shredded cheese is great for so many things but not macaroni and cheese. It’s coated and won’t melt properly. You need to shred it yourself for the best result.
- Cook your pasta to slightly less than al dente, about one minute shy is perfect. The reason is that this is baked mac and cheese so the pasta will continue to cook in the homemade cheese sauce in the oven. You don’t want soggy macaroni.
- I used elbow pasta but really, any tubular past will work.
- This mac and cheese recipe starts with a roux. The roux is super important to getting the creamiest cheese sauce of your life. Here is what you need to look for:
- The roux (equal parts butter and flour) is whisked together until bubbly and golden.
- Whisk in cold milk – not warm – to prevent the flour from clumping.
- Cook the roux until you see bubbles on the surface and then continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes before adding the cheese.
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese: What Kind of Cheese Should I Use?
I honestly use different cheese combinations almost every time I make this mac and cheese recipe but the one I always come back to is sharp cheddar and Gruyere. If you can’t find Gruyere, Jarlsberg Swiss cheese is the best substitute. Other cheese that work: mozzarella, jack cheese or pepper jack for a little zip, American and Velveeta as well for a creamier cheese sauce. This baked mac and cheese uses 6 cups of cheese so just
To add even more flavor to my homemade mac and cheese, I add Parmesan to the Panko topping – so good!
Make sure to try out these favorites too!
- The Ultimate Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy
- Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Root Beer BBQ Sauce
- Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches
- One Pot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Slow Cooker Shrimp Boil
I sure hope you give this a try and please, let me know what you think in the comments below!
How To Make Homemade Mac and Cheese
The BEST Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 oz elbow macaroni, cooked (or other tubular pasta)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups Gruyere cheese shredded
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a large 3 qt or 4 qt baking dish and set aside.
Combine shredded cheeses in a large bowl and set aside. - Cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente according to the package instructions. Remove from heat, drain, and place in a large bowl.
- Drizzle pasta with olive oil and stir to coat pasta. Set aside to cool while preparing cheese sauce.
- Melt butter in a deep saucepan, dutch oven, or stock pot.
- Whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking for about 1 minute until bubbly and golden.
- Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until nice and smooth. Continue whisking until you see bubbles on the surface and then continue cooking and whisking for another 2 minutes. Whisk in salt and pepper.
- Add two cups of shredded cheese and whisk until smooth. Add another two cups of shredded cheese and continue whisking until creamy and smooth. Sauce should be nice and thick.
- Stir in the cooled pasta until combined and pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce.
- Pour half of the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese and then the remaining mac and cheese.
- In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter and paprika. Sprinkle over the top and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
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Kelly says
Such a good recipe for those comfort food kind of days. My family requests this for dinner often. I added cooked bacon to the top with the panko crumbs and a bit of Frank’s Red hot sauce to the cheese sauce for a little kick. My family would eat this every day if they could. This is a great recipe for adults and kids too and I love that I you can make a big batch to have more than one meal.
Nancy says
Excellent and super easy recipe! I used a pepper jack, sharp and mild cheddar cheeses along with 2% milk (it is all I had on hand) and it came out amazing! Thank you !!!
Adam G says
This is amazing! I’m intending to do it in a 2 qt dish to take to a friends, would you reduce the recipe by 33% to fit? Thanks!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
That would definitely work!
Shelby says
I have made this for the past 2 years at holidays and it’s a hit!! The only Mac and cheese recipe I use! I wanted to know if it is 642 calories for the whole thing or per serving? Thanks!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thanks Shelby! Per serving.
Danielle K says
I have been searching for the perfect Mac and Cheese recipe for a long time and now I’ve finally found it! I was finding that a lot of homemade recipes called for dijon mustard and (in my opinion) it completely ruined the whole dish. BUT THIS RECIPE, outstanding! I made it with some pulled pork sandwiches, green beans and baked potatoes and the whole family couldn’t stop raving!
Jessica L. says
I really enjoyed making this!! Such an easy recipe!! nutrition at end is per serving, r
Adam says
Trish – I made your mac and it turned out great. Thanks for the recipe. The gruyere added a very nice flavor to it.. though I would probably halve the amount to 1 cup. It is a strong cheese and overpowers it a little.. but still very good. Also, that cheese was freaking expensive. I paid $16 for a small 8oz block. Will probably substitute next time 🙂
Joanne says
LOVE THIS RECIPE!!
Since it’s only the two of us, I make the whole amount….then I divide into equal portions and FREEZE!!
I just bring it to room temp and nuke it.
Maybe the consistency isn’t exactly the same but it still is delicious!
Great to have on hand when you don’t know what you are going to have for a starch.
I do this with baked beans, too. Sure makes a meal of hotdogs something special!!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Freezing is a great solution if this recipe makes too much for your family. Thanks Joanne!
Dani says
This recipe is going into my book of favorite recipes! I didn’t change anything besides the types of cheeses. Since I haven’t met a cheese that I didn’t love, I wasn’t worried about it. Just like you said, any melting cheese will work. As a newbie to making mac and cheese from scratch (what was I waiting for?!), I really appreciated your clear instructions. Delicious!
Paula says
I have been making this Mac & cheese for many years. The panko topping is good, but my family loves crushed Ritz crackers combined with melted butter and extra grated sharp cheddar as topping. After baking, I always put the dish under the broiler to get the topping browned and crunchy.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Mmmm! Ritz is ALWAYS a good idea – yum!
Hungry guy says
That is a tight idea with the ritz crackers
Michelle Geraghty says
It’s snowing here in MA and I thought “what a great night for comfort food!” This is one of the best mac and cheese recipes I have ever made. Less is more when cooking I feel. I have made a lot of complicated mac and cheese recipes that did not taste anywhere as good as this one. My husband is always a little skeptical of mac and cheese but even he had 2 helpings. My son was also a big fan. Thank you for sharing this. This definitely goes into the rotation for repeat meals!
Namira says
Hi, I liked the recipe! It was great. I had a question though – can I bake it longer or at a higher temperature to kind of get that burnt cheese feel to it? Or can I broil it at the end so the cheese kind of burns at the top?
I added my own toppings to it: I put hot chili sauce and ranch sauce in a zig-zag pattern. I also put chives, spring onions, and celery as toppings.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I think broiling would give you the best results Namira!
Angelika says
Absolutely the best mac&cheese recipe. I followed the directions and it turns to be the best one I ever had made. Very easy to make and delicious. This recipe is a keeper.
Lisa Sandoval says
Second time making this because it’s become my family’s favorite. Even my nephews thought it was better than their Dad’s Mac and Cheese and he is a professional chef. One of my changes is sautéing finely chopped onions in the butter before adding flour. It adds another level of flavor. Also I did add a package of Hornel bacon after mixing the sauce with the macaroni. Also my cheese mix it 8 cups in total…extra sharp cheddar cheese 4 cups, 2 cups of Gruyere cheese and an 8 ounce package of Fontina cheese finely cubed since it melts so well. The order of cheese is Fontina, then the Gruyere and then 3-4 cups of Cheddar. I still use the additional 2 cups in between the layers. Also used shaved Parmesan in the breadcrumbs this time instead of shredded. The best recipe!!
Sam says
I make Mac and cheese all the time but decided to try this recipe. Sooo good. I added chopped bacon and used 3 1/2 cups 1% milk and 1/2 whipping cream. Everyone loved it. Would definitely make again.